Golf Inc. magazine has honored new golf course developments
for many years. It’s one of our favorite features, because a new
course brings so much excitement and buzz. Indeed, if anything,
architects and developers are creating more magic than ever,
because the chance to do so has grown rarer in recent years as
demand for new courses has waned.

That’s one of the reasons Golf Inc. expanded the Development
of the Year contest this year to include a Redevelopment of the
Year category. We’ve witnessed a trend whereby golf course owners have been looking to enhance their offerings by making significant changes to their real estate holdings.

These are not just course improvements. (We honor them inour Renovation of the Year category.) Instead, these are existinggolf developments that have been transformed into somethingnew and different, such as reconfiguring existing courses andadding new features, such as lodging or housing.

This year’s new developments again achieve the amazing, with
a growing emphasis on sustainability and working in concert with
the existing environment to create one-of-a-kind attractions. At
one of our winning courses, Tatanka Golf Club in Niobrara, Neb.,
you can see buffalo roaming nearby.

Architect Gil Hanse barely moved an inch of dirt while creating Mossy Oak Golf Club in West Point, Miss. Its nickname is
“Nature’s Golf,” because it’s so attuned with the surrounding landscape.

Innovation also was in vogue. Architect Tom Doak created
a reversible course at Forest Dunes Golf Club in Roscommon,
Mich. It’s called The Loop. And it’s one of the most talked about
new courses in years. It also happens to be our Best in Show this
year.